Heating system.



A. 6. PAUL. HEATING SYSTEM. APPLICATION FlLED MAY 18. IBM.

1,299,603. I Patented Apr. 8,1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

A. 6. PAUL.

HEATING SYSTEM. I APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, I914.

Patented A i. 8, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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ANDREW G. PAUL, F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. I

HEATING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

Original application filed August 10, 1912, Serial No. 714,390. Divided and this application filed May 18,

' 1914. Serial No. 889,265.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, ANDREW G. PAUL, a

' citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Heating Systems, of Which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to heating systems includingv a loop for transferring liquids from a low point into a vessel, such as a boiler,in which a pressure is maintained above atmosphere, andthe loop is particularly adapted for transferring the water of condensation in a steam heating system, or steam apparatus; from a point at or below the level of the water in the boiler back to the boiler against wh'atever pressure may exist therein.

- The object of the invention is to provide a system including apparatus by means of which the water of condensation, or other liquid, which accumulates at the tail end of the system, or at other places therein, may be transferred automatically and continuously and without the use of a pump and other expensive apparatus, back to the boiler or the source of supply, against whatever pressure may exist therein, and to do this either when the apparatus is first put into operation, or at any time at Which such water of condensation or other liquid may accumulate at the points referred to. Another object of the invention is to cause the water of condensation, or other liquid, to be returned in this manner while it is comparatively hot, so as to save the heat units contained therein, and thereby to increase the economy of the apparatus. Another object of the invention is to cause the return of the water of condensation, or other liquid, to be continuous and at such a rate that the flooding and consequent choking of the apparatus may be prevented.

My invention consists first in providing a loop having a supply leg, a discharge leg, and a connecting pipe .at or near the top of these legs, and in combining with these elements one or more crossover pipes connecting the legs at one or more lower points.

' My invention also consists in providing these cross-over pipes with check valves to prevent any back flow from the discharge leg to the supply leg. My invention also consists in providing anautomatic escape valve near the top of the loop to reduce the pressure at that point, or to maintain arelatively low pressure there. My invention also'consists in making the discharge leg of larger cross-sectional area than the supply leg, or in providing-the discharge leg at proper points with a reservoir of large cross-sectional area into which the discharge leg opens and discharges, the reservoir being connected with the boiler. My invention also consists in combining such a loop with a steam boiler in such a manner that whatever pressure may be maintained in the boiler, the water of condensation willbe automatically discharged into the boiler from time to time against said pressure. My invention also consists of other features of construction and combinations of parts, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form or modification of my improved device; and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of another form or application of my improved. device, both of which are shown in connection with a boiler and with a steam-heating system.

v Referring'to Fig. 1, 18 is a boiler and 19 represents the water therein. 20 is the suply -m'ain leadin 7 from the dome of the oiler to theheating system. 21 is the sup ply pipe leadingto the radiators 22, 22. Only two'radiators are shown, but as many radiators may be used as desired. 23, 23 are ordinary hand supply valves in the supply branch eslleadin'g to each radiator. -24, 24 are return-valves of any suitable construction. 25 is the return main through which the water ofcondensation flows from the system, and 1 is a tank toreceive the water of condensation or other liquid which is to 'bereturned to the boiler or other Vessel. 26, 26. are check valves placed in short branches of the return pipe leading from the separate radiators to the return pipe 25. 27 is a drip pipe leading from the base of the supply pipe'21 to the horizontal pipe 28 which is connected with the boiler below the water level and through which the water of condensation received from the various parts of the system is returned to the boiler. 29 is a check valve in the pipe 27. 3 is the supply leg of the loop which'extends down loop which is represented as having a vertlcal portion and a horizontal portion. Both 7 the supply leg and the discharge leg are represented as being broken awayat intermediate parts to indicate that they may be made of any desired length or height. Thetwo legs of the loop are connected by a connecting ,pipe 5 whichis at or near the top of the legs. 6 is across-over pipe which connects the supply leg and the discharge leg-at a lower point. Any number of crossover pipes may be used, In the particular form shown in Fig. lonly one cross-over pipe is employed. In the particular form of the invention shown in Fig. 2 two crossover pipes are shown as will be explained later. In the form shown in Fig. 1 .the cross-over pipe 6 is placed .at such a point that the pressure which is maintained in "the boiler will be suflicientto raise the water of condensation in a solid column from the ceiver 'in the discharge .leg, or with which ceiver or the discharge leg.

the discharge 'leg is connected and into which the discharge leg opens. This receiver is made with a large cross-sectional area as indicated in the drawing. 9 is a pipe leading from the lower end of the receiverto the boiler 18. This pipe is connected with the boiler below the water level thereof. 10 is a eheckvalve placed in the horizontal ,portion of the ,pipe ,9 to prevent any backfiow trom the boiler into the re- 11 is a water gage connected in any ordinary way with the receiver 8 to indicate what the water levelisin said receiver. 12 isvan escape pipe leading from the uppereend of the loop and provided with an automatic escape valve or automatic valve. 13. This valve l3 '1nay be an ordinary automatic valve which will permit the escape of waterand air while pre venting the escape of steam, or it may be a safety valve which will openat a given or predetermined .pressure and let anything out so as toprevent the increaseof any pressure above the desired point at the upper end or the loop. The pipe 12 preferably leads down to the basement or to some suitable point where the escaping fluids can be conveniently discharged. 14 is an escape plpe similar to the pipe 12, leading from the upper end of the receiver 8 and provlded wlth an automatic escape valve, or an automatic air valve 15 similar to the valve 13.

The operation of this apparatus isv as follows As shown [it isaisecl in a steam-heating system, in which the pipe 25 is the return 191136 r01" the water of condensation leading from the tail end of the system, or from any other point from which the system maybe drained. When the system'is started or put into operation, the tank 1 and the pipe adjoining pipes. Iii-order to dischargethis water it must be raisedby boiler pressure up i to the level of the cross-pipe 6. If the pressure which is carried in the boiler is :say

- five pounds, the cross-over pipe 6 should fbe placed at a pointless than ten feet above-the tank 1. The pressure in the pipe leadingto the tank 1 will be substantially the same as that in the boiler, to wit, substantially equal to five pounds. This pressurewi'llforce the water from the'tan'k 1=in a solid column-up :to the crossover pipe 6 and throu'ghthat .pipeinto the discharge leg 4 "and into the receiver '8. At this time, that is, at the beginning of the operatio'n 01" the-system, the pressure in the receiver 8 will be atmospheric so that there will be 'no pressure in that receiver to oppose the lifting of'the water. As soon as the water has been discharged from thetank .1, orthe column of solid water injthe' supply leg 3 has been broken, the steam or air or gas from the heating 'system' will flow up through the .pipe 3 and, by reason "of its -velocity,-will carry along with it globules or particles of water 'trom'the tank-1 up tothetop er the loop or through the cross-pipet and over into the discharge leg 4, and hence "into the receiver At the same time the pressure of five pounds will extend into the discharge leg of the loop and will be exerted on top of the water in the receiver. "When the water in the receiver, or in the discharge leg, has risen to a suflicient height to overcome the resistance of the pipe 9 and the 'check valve 10 and the pressure in the boiler, "the water will be discharged from the receiver 8 into the boiler, and this discharge will continue valve 10, together with the boiler pressure and the check valve will then close, and *will remain closed until the water in the receiver check valve, when the operation will be rethe flooding of the loop bya sudden outflow of water from the system. It happens every now and then in every heating system that there is an unusual rush of water of condensation into the tank 1 and intothe loop. If the receiver 8 were not used the discharge leg would be certain at such times to be entirely filled to the top of the loop and the supply leg would likewise befilled, or the supply leg and discharge leg would be filled up to the point to which the pressure in the system would raise the water. Ifthe loop becomes full for any cause its operation ceases because the flow of steam 'or air or gas is cut OE, and consequently no water can be carried up by an outflowing current, and the loop is put out of action. The only way in which the loop could then be cleared would be by blowing the water out into the atmosphere. This would require a manipulation of he system that would be very inconvenient and troublesome as well as expensive or wasteful. The system would not clear itself of water automatically. By using the'receiver 8 as described with large crosssectional area, a reservoir of sufiicient size is provided to receive whatever rush of water may come over at any time and to prevent the loop from becoming full or choked with water. Consequently pressure from the system extends through the loop at all times and the operation of the loop is continuous. No water is discharged into the boiler until the water. in the reservoir 8 rises to the proper level, but as soon as this happens the check valve in pipe 9 is opened and the wateris discharged into the boiler and continues to discharge until the water in the reservoir has fallen to the minimum level. During all this time the check valve is fully open. When the check valve does open it therefore remains open for a much longer time than would be the case if the receiver 8 where not used. If the discharge leg had no receiver on it the water would-rise inthe discharge leg until there was a sufliuent wa ter column to open the check valve, then water would be dis harged into the boiler until the water in the discharge leg fell to the minimum level. But this would happen very quickly and but a small quantity of water would be discharged into the boiler in the interval. The check valve 10 would remain open buta short time. t would be opening and closing not only intermittently but frequently, and this constant opening.

and closing would reduce the actual volume offlow through it very materially. When the re eiveris used, as soon as the water has risen in it to the maximum level the check valve 10 is opened wide, and thereis a continuous flow through it until the water has fallen in the receiver to the minimum level. This flow is enough to take care of and discharge any possible volume of water that can be carried over by theloop, so that the check valve and its pipe 9, when used with the receiver, has a capacity sufficient at any time to handle any amount of water that is brought over by the action of theloop.

It is essential to this operation that the receiver 8 should be placed at the properv elevation, to wit, at such a point that the level to which the water must rise in the discharge leg in order to cause a discharge into the boiler, shall be below the top of the receiver, and that the level to which'the water must fall in order to cause the check valve 10 to be closed must be above the bottom of the receiver. In other words, the maximum level of the water that is necessary to open the check valve, and the minimum level of the water at which the check valve closes, must both be within the receiver itself or at some point between the top and bottom of the receiver. In Fig. 1, 16 represents the level at which the water column will open the check valve and begin to discharge into the boiler, and 17 represents the level at which the check valve will be closed and the discharge stopped. Some advantage would be secured by placing the receiver above the level 16 as it would still act as a reservoir to prevent, or help to prevent, the floodingof the loop, but to secure the full advantage of the receiver it must be placed in the position previously described.

If at any time while the system is in operation water accumulates in the tank l'so rapidly that that tank becomes full of water so as to suspend the action of the loop, the pressure at the top of the loop will rapidly fall by reason of the condensation of the steam and by reason of the fact that the automatic air valve 13"will open when the flow through the loop ceases. The pressure at the upper art of the loop'will thereby be rapidlyre uced to atmospheric pressure. In this way a differential pressure will be established between the pine 2 or tank 1, andthe upper end of the loop, which will cause the water to be lifted out of the tank 1 in a solid column up to the cross-over pipe 6, and will cause it to flow through that cross over pipe into the discharge leg a until the solid water column in the pipe 3 will be again broken when the operation of the 100 will be reestablished. Thuswhenever su .cient water collects in the tank l'during the through the cross-pipe 6 at very high temperatures'and with great resulting economy.

In all. loops previously known tome cold water thatcollected in the loop at the beginning had to be blown out into the atmosphere by boiler pressure, and the boiler the charge leg is made larger in diameter than pressure had to be raised to a suflicient point to produce this result, and the same was true whenever the loop became clogged with water for any reason during the regular operationo-fthesystem. In the present inventionv this is not true. As already explained, the solid water is discharged into the boiler automatically both when the system is first put into operation and at any time during the operation of the system when such solid body of water accumulates therein.

In 2. my invention isalso. shown as embodied in a steam-heating system- 18 is theboiler. 19 represents the water in the boiler. 20 the supply main leading from the. dome of the boiler to the heating systerm. 21 is the supply pipe leading to the radiators 22, 22,. Only two radiators are shown, but as many radiators may be used as desired. 23,23 are ordinary hand supply valves in the supply branches leading to each radiator. 24, 245 are return valves of any suitable construction. 25 is the return mainthrou'gh which the water of condensation flows from the system- 26, 26 are check valves placed in shortbranches of the return pipe leading from the separate radiators to the return pipe.2:5. 27 is a drip pipe leading from the base of the supply pipe 21 to the horizontal pipe 28 which is connected with the boiler below the water level and through which the water of condensation received from the various parts of the system is returned to the boiler. 29 is a check valve in the pipe 27 30 represents a drip pipe leading from some other part of the heating system and connecting with the pipe 27. 31 is a vertical pipe of relatively large diameter which acts as a tank or reservoir-to receive the water of condensation fro the return pipe '25. The pipe 31 empties into the pipe 28. 32 is acheck valve placed in the pipe 28 to prevent any back-flow from the boiler into the pipe 31. 33 is the supply leg of the loop.- 34a is the discharge leg of the loop. In this form of the invention the entiredisthe supply leg, being represented in the apparatus shown in Fig. 2 as having a diameter of about threetimes that of the supply leg. 35 is a pipe connecting the two legs of the loop: at or near their upper ends. 36, 36 are cross-over. pipes connecting the supply leg with the discharge leg at different points or levels as shown. In the particular construction illustrated in Fig. 2, two of these cross-over pipes are used, but it will be apparent that a larger number may beeniployed if' necessary. Thesecross-over pipes are provided with check valves 37 37 to .prevent back-flow into thesupply leg. The

' discharge leg is connected at its lower end with the pipe 28. It is also provided near its lower end with check valve 38. The supply leg 33 projects down into the reservoir 31 to a point on a level with, or below the bottom of the horizontal portion of the pipe 25. 39 is an escape pipe connected with the upper end of the loop to permit the escape of air and gas. It is provided at its upper end with the automatic escape valve or automatic air valve 10 which may be of any desired construction. I prefer to use a valve which will permit the escape of air and gas but prevent the. escape of steam. The escape pipe 39 is provided at its lower end witha check valve 43. 41 represents areturn pipe coming from some other part of the system and emptying into the pipe 25.

42 is an ordinary hand valve or gate valve in the pipe 28, by means of which that. pipe may be closed.

The operation of this form of my invention is substantially the same as that of the form shown in Fig. 1, except that the operation is materially improved by the use of a plurality of cross-over pipes, and also by connecting the tank or reservoir 31 directly with theboiler. The water flowing from the heating system through the pipes 25 and 41, first accumulates in the pipe 31, and if thew'ater column in that pipe is of suflicient height to overcome the boiler pressure, or the dilference between the boiler pressure and the pressure in the pipes 25 and 11, the water will flow directly into the boiler without passing over the loop. But if this difference becomes greater the water will be carried over the loop in the manner already eX plained in connection with Fig. 1. There is a marked advantage in having several cross-over pipes. When the water accumulates in the reservoir 31 at the beginning of the operation or during the operation, the pressure which is back of it in the heating system will force it up through the supply leg 33 to the first cross-over pipe and possibly higher than that. The water will be forced up very quickly, and it may not escape through the, first cross-over pipe as rapidly as it rises up in the supply leg. The second cross-pipe which is placed, say twenty-seven inches above the first, will operate as an additional channel of escape for this solid water from the supply leg to the discharge leg. It is important to have the solid water discharged from the sup- 7 ply leg to the discharge leg'as rapidly as possible so as to establish and bring into. action the current of steam or air or gas in the supply leg which serves to carry the water up over the top of the loop. The additional cross-pipes aid in accomplishing this result. Ifthe pressure in the reservoir 31 is sufficient to lift the water as highias the second or third cross-pipe, the flow from the supply leg to the discharge leg will be all the more rapid, and the SuppIyleg will be freed from the solid column of water in shorter time. Water tends to flow in straight lines, and if there is sufiicient pressure in the reservoir 31 to lift the water up to the second cross-pipe, the chances are that the water will rise, at least for a time, in the supply leg as high as the second crosspipe, and an appreciable amount of time would be consumed in its discharge through the lowest cross-pipe if that were the only one. But this discharge is made much more rapid by the use of a number of cross-over pipes. If the supply leg 33 becomes filled with a solid column of water for some distance above its lower end, the steam in the upper part of the loop will be condensed, thereby reducing the pressure. The water in the leg 33 will therefore be lifted to a point corresponding to the difi'erence between the pressure in the pipe 25, and the pressure in the top of the loop. This will raise the water in the leg 33 highenough to make it flow through one or more of the cross-over pipes 36 into the discharge leg until the solid column of water in the supply leg 33 will be broken and'the normal operation of the loop will be again established. When the column of water in the supply leg has been broken, the pres sure at the top of the loop will become prac-.

tically the same as the pressure in the return pipe 25, which is nearly the same as the pressure in the boiler. This pressure will operate on top of the water column in the discharge leg to aid in discharging the water into the boiler.

The discharge leg of the loop must extend upwardly for a suilicient distance to provide for a water column that will be high enough, under any circumstances, to overcome any boiler pressure that may be used in the system.

Important advantages are secured by my invention. Whenever water accumulates, or tends to accumulate, at the tail end of the system, it is at once carried over into the discharge leg of the loop until a suflicient column of water is produced therein to cause" the water to be fed into the boiler. This is done automatically and by a Very simple and inexpensive apparatus. The water is discharged into the boiler as soon as it accumulates in any substantial quantity, and it is therefore fed into the boiler while it is still hot, thereby economizing in the use of heat. The flooding of the apparatus is prevented. It is never necessary to blow the water out into the atmosphere either when the system is first put into operation or at any time when, for one reason or another, there has been an unusually large flow of water to the loop.

This application is a continuation in part of application Serial No. 714,390, filed Auust 10, 1912, issued as Patent No. 1,097,594,

dated May 19, 1914.

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination of a steam boiler, a radiator or heater, a supply pipe connecting the boiler and the radiator, a return pipe for the water of condensation, a reservoir into the upper end of which the return pipe empties, a pipe connecting the lower end of the reservoir with the boiler, a check valve in said pipe, and a loop for returning the water of condensation to the boiler consisting of a supply leg connected with the upper part of the reservoir, a discharge leg, a connecting pipe at or near the top of the legs, and a cross-over pipe connecting the legs at a lower point, and a check valve in the cross-over pipe.

2. The combination of a steam boiler, a radiator or heater, a supply pipe connecting the boiler and the radiator, a return pipe for the water of condensation, a reservoir into the upper end of which the returnpipe empties, a pipe connecting the lower end of the reservoir with the boiler, a check valve in said pipe, and a loop for returning the water of condensation to the boiler consisting of a supply leg connected with the upper radiator or heater, a supply pipe connecting the boiler and the radiator, a return pipe for the water ofcondensation, a reservoir into the upper end of which the return pipe empties, a pipe connecting the lower end of the reservoir with the boiler, a check valve in said pipe, and a loop for returning the Water of condensation to the boiler consisting of a supply leg connected with the upper end of the reservoir, a discharge leg, a connecting pipe at or near the top of the legs, an automatic escape valve near the top of the loop, a cross-over pipe connecting the legs at a lower point, a check valve in the cross-over pipe, a receiver of large cross sectional area into which the discharge leg opens, a pipe connecting the receiver with the boiler, and a check valve in said pipe.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANDREW G. PAUL.

Witnesses:

VAN COURTLANDT LAWRENCE, JAMES D. GORDON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G." 

